Cuban exile leaders in Miami are ramping up their efforts to seek an investigation into former Cuban pilot Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, accused of participating in the 1996 shootdown of planes belonging to the Brothers to the Rescue organization. At a press conference held at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami on Monday, they urged local and state authorities to review the collected evidence and consider formally charging González-Pardo.
Nelson Morales, a relative of one of the victims, expressed his ongoing quest for justice 28 years after the death of his brother Pablo Morales, one of the four individuals killed by Cuban regime pilots in international waters of the Florida Straits. "They obliterated him. It was the most heinous murder imaginable. There was nothing left," Morales said, visibly emotional.
Exile leaders are calling on the Miami-Dade and Florida state prosecutors to convene a grand jury to investigate the case. Marcell Felipe, president of the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, emphasized the timeliness of the matter. "With the federal government ready to intervene, now is the time to move forward and uphold the law," he stated.
Calls for Legal Action
González-Pardo, who reportedly resides in Florida, has denied the allegations. Nonetheless, Luis Domínguez, an investigator for the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba (FHRC), claims to possess evidence supporting González-Pardo’s involvement, including information from other pilots. While Domínguez did not present all his evidence, he maintained that González-Pardo admitted his role in a conversation with former Cuban pilot Orestes Lorenzo.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
There is an existing judicial case against Rubén Martínez Puente, who was the commander of the Cuban air force overseeing the pilots involved in the shootdown. However, neither he nor the Pérez brothers—also implicated—were extradited to the U.S., and two of them have since passed away. González-Pardo has never been formally charged.
Attorney Nelson Rodríguez Varela explained that although the shootdown occurred in international waters, Florida could claim jurisdiction if any part of the conspiracy took place within its territory. During the press conference, State Representative Alex Rizo announced that he had reached out to the Florida governor to address the issue, while Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin Cabrera pledged to seek the necessary support for authorities to take action.
Moral and Legal Implications
Héctor Lans, a businessman and member of the Cuban exile community, underscored the moral significance of the case beyond its legal ramifications. "Every Cuban with dignity should support this mission," he stated.
In mid-September, it was revealed that Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, allegedly involved in the shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes, was residing in the U.S. under the humanitarian parole program implemented by President Joe Biden’s administration. Retired with the rank of colonel, González-Pardo was part of the Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR) and participated in the 1996 incident that resulted in the deaths of Cuban-American pilots Mario Manuel de la Peña (24), Armando Alejandre (45), Carlos Costa (29), and Cuban resident Pablo Morales (29).
The exiled Cuban community and Cuban-American congress members have raised alarms about the increasing number of regime repressors and officials arriving or already residing in the U.S.
Current Residency and Allegations
González-Pardo is reportedly living in Jacksonville, working at a bakery, and residing with his daughter. According to Martí Noticias, his wife remains in Cuba awaiting her visa to join him. Although he was not the direct shooter of the missiles that downed the two planes on February 24, 1996, he is alleged to have taken off that day and pursued a third aircraft piloted by organization leader José Basulto and Arnaldo Iglesias, which also carried M.A.R. leader Silvia Iriondo and her husband Andrés, who managed to escape.
González-Pardo was one of the MiG-29A 911 pilots who chased Basulto’s plane alongside another Cuban regime pilot, Raúl Simanca Cárdenas, as noted by Luis Domínguez of the Foundation for Human Rights. Social media posts have also indicated his continued loyalty to the regime even after allegedly relocating to the U.S.
After retiring, González-Pardo held significant positions in Cuban civil aviation, including serving as the deputy chief of Terminal 4 at Havana’s José Martí International Airport, also known as the International Cargo Terminal, operated jointly by Cuban and Spanish companies.